O p e n i n g

O P E N I N G

Resources for Self Help and Personal Growth

Personal Change

Keeping in touch with what we feel, think and want is important. You need to know yourself to be honest with your self and to be real with others. Here are some resources to help. "Writing Down the Bones" is one book (linked to the picture on the left); some other good ones are "Centering in Pottery, Poetry, and the Person", "Grist for the Mill", Who We May Be" and anything by Clark Moustakis.

Finding Each Other

Communicating to another about who we are and opening ourselves to them is an art form. Listening (harder to do than you think), and taking responsibility for our own power and choices are skills you need to learn, and re-learn. Great inspirations include these: "On the Way to the Wedding" (linked, left); "The Dance of Anger"; and any book you can find on the lost art of Listening.

P.S. Sharing incidental, seemingly irrelevant bits about our everyday experiences is a good thing if you want to bring someone who cares about you closer.

The Family Connection

We have our parent(s) or guardian(s), and we have our current "family", in what ever form that takes. You may find, the more people in the mix, the more complicated things can get. Some of the best resources about these relationships include "Peoplemaking" (linked, left); "Why am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?"; and "The Family Crucible" (a therapist perspective).